Training abs with a high bf percentage.....

[Bolo]

Hi....im at about 20 percent bf (military standards) right now.  5'6 225....anyways im tryin to tighten up........not get cut....but loose some bodyfat......well mainly inches from my waiste.  Ive been incoporating cardio about every other day....anyways my question is...is it a waste of time training abs wit a high bf...and trust me I know abs wont show unless low bf....im not tryin to see my 6 pack...im just tryin to lose 2-3 inches off my waist.....so will ab training help with anything.....like maybe tighten my gut...or enable me to hold it in better?

[Bolo]

uppin for insight

[Hypertrophy]

Bolo (BTW, one of my favorite martial artists),

The current thinking, from all I have read, is that doing lots of ab work (with no resistance) is just cardio work in a different way. Unless your abs are very weak, which I  doubt (unless you do no overhead lifting which tends to indirectly work your abdominals) you are not going to see any big change in abdominal fat unless you start burning lots of calories. The question is: Do you like doing lots of sits ups/crunches/leg raises? if so, then they will cause fat reduction. Other wise, just add more time doing some low level cardio: walking/light running/cycling/hiking/etc. while keeping your calorie intake constant.

Hope this helps.

[WOOO]

i'm trying to figure out how 5'6" 225lbs works out to 20% bf........ sounds more like 30%+

[sugarbear]

5'6 225 with 20% body fat sound's like bullshit to me i know how the military measures
bodyfat they deduct your neck in inches from your waist size so if your already built like a shit brickhouse and are in the military you should know the answer to your own question and that is spend more time on the track.

[candidate2025]

for fat loss........i would say training abs is about as effective  as training biceps.     there probably about the same size of muscle (both biceps together), and since you cant spot reduce fat the only effective way to drop waist size is to decrease your bodies total fat....and since for every pound of muscle you gain, ur body burns an extra 100 calories a day, i would say that training abs isnt very effective, but will help a tiny bit if incorporated.


but thats all based on hear-say...as ive never tried to lower m,y bodyfat before

[The Master]

for fat loss........i would say training abs is about as effective  as training biceps.     there probably about the same size of muscle (both biceps together), and since you cant spot reduce fat the only effective way to drop waist size is to decrease your bodies total fat....and since for every pound of muscle you gain, ur body burns an extra 100 calories a day, i would say that training abs isnt very effective, but will help a tiny bit if incorporated.


but thats all based on hear-say...as ive never tried to lower m,y bodyfat before

Somehow I knew you'd chime in on a thread with a title like this

[candidate2025]

Somehow I knew you'd chime in on a thread with a title like this

it has my name written all over it

[The Master]

it has my name written all over it

 

[JPM]

Doing ab work by it's self won't do much, if anything, in reducing the layer of fat around the abs. But it can lay a foundation for some impressive abs after losing that extra fat around the middle. Ab exercises will tighten the ab structure. And in return help to drawn the muscle group inwards, giving a smaller waist measurement. People who have never trained before in their lives, when starting to do simple sit-ups, can come upon this effect.Maybe lossing 2 or 3 inches over a month's time or so.  A weak muscle is loose and becomes stretched out over time. A trained muscle becomes tight and strong. In any case you might want to start with a lower daily carb intake and up  the cardio to a steady pace of three times a week. All the while hitting the abs twice to three times a week. Good Luck.

[Princess L]

.and since for every pound of muscle you gain, ur body burns an extra 100 calories a day

That would be nice if it were true.
It's only 30-50

[Bolo]

5'6 225 with 20% body fat sound's like bullshit to me i know how the military measures
bodyfat they deduct your neck in inches from your waist size so if your already built like a shit brickhouse and are in the military you should know the answer to your own question and that is spend more time on the track.

damn people quick to call a bullshit....i aint gotta lie about my weight im 225 yes at 5'6....now i dont know if im really 20%bf but hey i cant be too fat i am in the military w/o a waiver

[Bolo]

i'm trying to figure out how 5'6" 225lbs works out to 20% bf........ sounds more like 30%+

im pretty sure im not 30% bf.....dont forget muscle is heavier than fat....ive been training 7 yrs

[candidate2025]

That would be nice if it were true.
It's only 30-50

i was quoting muscular development..

[Dos Equis]

im pretty sure im not 30% bf.....dont forget muscle is heavier than fat....ive been training 7 yrs

Actually a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat.  Muscle is just more dense and takes up less space.   

In any event, I was in the military too and at your height and weight you are probably getting weighed and "taped" every month (like I did, because I was carrying a lot more muscle than the average bear).  You're probably supposed to weigh something like 165-75 pounds according to their archaic charts.  I'm sure you're trying to avoid having to do the extra PT that comes with being put in the fat boys' program.     Most people will say that doing ab work will not burn fat around your abs.  Arnold says otherwise.  He has no scientific proof, but he says in his Encyclopedia that he believes ab work does result in less body fat around your midsection. 

That said, whether you are trying to drop body fat or not, you shouldn't neglect your abs.

Just make sure you have a big neck.      

[Bolo]

good point beach bum.........but im not worried about being put on a fitness program by the military...i dont have trouble passing it....and for the bf....you are allowed up to 22 percent....so im straight.....but yeah ill prolly start a lil ab training....and see whut happens.....thanx for the advice

[kszep]

True, what everyone has said about reducing overall body fat in order to see your abs.  I would just add that training your abs is a very important component of keeping your core strong-which helps you to avoid injuries in exercises such as squats and deads.  For general health and injury prevention, I would train your abs hard 2-3 days a week whether or not you will ever see them.  Just add diet and cardio if you ever have a desire to see that six pack.

[Oldschool Flip]

damn people quick to call a bullshit....i aint gotta lie about my weight im 225 yes at 5'6....now i dont know if im really 20%bf but hey i cant be too fat i am in the military w/o a waiver

Well your BF% was way off. At my highest weight I was 215 at a height of 5'8" and was about 28% BF. I feel I have a decent muscular physique, so your numbers do sound pretty way off.

[Bolo]

Well your BF% was way off. At my highest weight I was 215 at a height of 5'8" and was about 28% BF. I feel I have a decent musculature physique, so your numbers do sound pretty way off.

alright maybe its way off....but yeah its military standards....now i feel really fat....but im also muscualar

[Princess L]

i was quoting muscular development..

...well... they're wrong.
Imagine that. 

[Arnold jr]

True, what everyone has said about reducing overall body fat in order to see your abs.  I would just add that training your abs is a very important component of keeping your core strong-which helps you to avoid injuries in exercises such as squats and deads.  For general health and injury prevention, I would train your abs hard 2-3 days a week whether or not you will ever see them.  Just add diet and cardio if you ever have a desire to see that six pack.

Agreed^ Everything said above is correct.

Just because you can't see your abs doesn't mean you shouldn't train them. With a high bf% you can's see any of your muscles as well as you can when your bf% is lower...does that mean you wouldn't or shouldn't train them as well?

[Geo]

regardless of BF % you still need to keep those abs tight to stay away from hernias if you're deadliftin of squatin

[BallzDeep69]

Is pointless unless you do training for MMA, etc.

[WOOO]

...well... they're wrong.
Imagine that. 

  MD FEARS PRINCESS L

[Hedgehog]

Just go over your diet.

Make sure you eat healthy, meaning no fast food and no junk food. Exchange those for stuff like whole grain pasta, lots of veggies (steaming and cooking w/o salt is ok).

If you make a solid effort to eat healthier, it will keep you full longer too, and those extra pounds will come off without you even noticing.

YIP
Zack